SEC Tournament 2012 Scores: Things to Take Away from Saturday's Action

As the SEC Tournament semifinals came to a close today, there are now only two teams left standing.

Advancing to the SEC Championship Game are the favorite Kentucky Wildcats and the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Both the Florida Gators and Ole Miss Rebels put up great resistance, but in the end the cream rose to the top.

Let's take a look at Saturday's action of the SEC Tournament.

Florida Forward Erik Murphy's Performance

How many of you thought that the forward would torch the vaunted Kentucky front line?

I didn't either.

The forward from Rhode Island was sensational in the 74-71 loss to Kentucky. He not only put up 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field, but he also notched 4-of-4 from three-point range.

Any time a player puts up these types of stats, it's quite impressive. When someone has this stat line against the likes of Anthony Davis and Terrence Jones, it's almost unheard of.

Let's be clear, Davis is the odds-on favorite to not only win the Defensive Player of the Year Award, but also a possible winner for the National Player of the Year Award.

The way Murphy operated in the post with his craftiness and intelligence was notable. He also was able to extend all the way out to the perimeter, which forced Davis away from the paint.

Nice job, Mr. Murphy.

Mississippi's Unexpected Run to the Semifinals

While Mississippi came up short today against Vanderbilt, they had a wonderful run in the conference tournament.

In the process, they squarely put themselves in NCAA tournament contention.

As a No. 7 seed, the Rebels weren't expected to do much in the tournament. After defeating No. 10 Auburn handily, they upset No. 2 Tennessee in spectacular fashion.

Vanderbilt proved to be too tough for head coach Andy Kennedy's squad, but that doesn't take away from their great run in the tournament.

At 20-13, they still have an outside shot for an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament. If they aren't selected for the "big dance," they'll more than likely be invited to participate in the NIT.

A Look Ahead at Tomorrow's Championship Game: Kentucky v. Vanderbilt

Tomorrow's championship game should be a great one.

In contests between the two teams earlier this season, Vanderbilt more than held their own with the Wildcats. Both games were hotly contested, and Vanderbilt arguably competed with Kentucky better than any team in the conference.

In terms of personnel, the Commodores probably match up best with Kentucky out of any SEC team as well.

Vanderbilt (via Festus Ezeli and Lance Goulbourne) has the overall size to match up with Kentucky in the paint. In addition, forward Jeffery Taylor rivals Darius Miller and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in terms of athleticism. 

John Jenkins might be the best outside shooter in all of college basketball. The Wildcats will have to be cognizant of the sharpshooter at all times.

Vanderbilt also has one thing Kentucky doesn't have: experience. Vanderbilt starts four seniors and one junior. In crunch time, I would have to think Vanderbilt has the edge.

The neutralizer in this game? Kentucky's supremely talented roster.

John Calipari's team has so many weapons out on the floor. Doron Lamb can stroke it from deep, Kidd-Gilchrist, Miller and Marquis Teague love to drive the ball in the lane, and the combination of Davis and Jones is incredibly potent.

It's truly hard to pick against a team that's won 24 straight games. It should be a fantastic matchup, but I give Kentucky the slight edge.